'My home became an end-terrace when the M65 was built but I had the last laugh'

When a letter came through the door telling him the majority of his street was about to be demolished, Owen Frank turned it into an opportunity.

Roughly 30 years ago, planners wanted extend the M65 from Whitebirk to the M61 and M6. But there was a row of terraced houses in their way.

The homes at Moss Bridge in Darwen were destined for demolition. . Owners were compensated through compulsory purchase and, after some initial attempts by protestors, the once-continuous block of terraces in Blackburn Road was eventually split.

Where others were ordered to leave Owen Frank took advantage of a lesser-known law.

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When he bought his house in 2001 it had already been converted from its original state as a mid-terraced house into the end property on the 'Darwen side' block running alongside the A666. But a savvy Owen, who used to work as a taxi driver in Leyland, decided to make the most of his home's location.

"I decided to claim the land next to my house and build a garage," Owen told LancsLive. "I built it myself and nobody has ever said anything so it's mine now."

Owen established ownership of the strip of land under a principle known as adverse possession. Adverse possession is a legal concept where a person who is not the original owner of a piece of land can acquire legal ownership by openly using it without the owner’s permission for a specific period of time.

For adverse possession to occur, certain conditions must be met. The possession must be “adverse,” meaning without the owner’s consent. It must also be continuous, open, and exclusive for a defined period, which is generally 10 years under the current law.

Owen explained that the council even did him "a favour". "They put in a dropped kerb for their own vehicles to access the land to cut the grass and what have you, so I can use that to drive my car onto the land and into the garage," he added.

Fortunately for Owen, he was able to buy his new home outright, otherwise the prospect of securing a mortgage on his property could have been fraught with complications due to the house changing from a mid-terrace to an end-terrace.

"It does feel like I live in a house with a bit of history," Owen added. "It was the last to 'be saved' so at the time I imagine the owners will have been relieved they weren't forced out."